topup

Noun

top-up (countable and uncountable, plural top-ups)

1. An addition.
   • Energy will be generated from solar panels, water will be recycled and extracted from soil and the astronauts will grow their own food - they will also have an emergency ration and regular top-ups as new explorers join every two years.2013, Melissa Hogenboom, “Applicants wanted for a one-way ticket to Mars”, in BBC News
2. A serving of drink used to top up an existing glass.
3. An additional premium paid over the initial premium in order to increase benefit values.
4. Additional credit purchased for a mobile phone.
   • I added a $20 top-up on my cellphone's data plan.
5. A dose of epidural anesthetic added to previously injected spinal anesthetic in combined spinal-epidural anesthesia
   • The reinforcement of anesthesia by an epidural “top-up” in combined spinal-epidural anesthesia may be explained by a dual mechanism: a volume effect compressing the dural sac and a local anesthetic effect.1999, The Epidural “Top-Up” in Combined Spinal-Epidural Anesthesia: The Effect of Volume Versus Dose
6. The situation where a student who holds a qualification equivalent to part of a degree course is then accepted onto a degree course at an intermediate point, without having to start it from the beginning.

See all 7 meanings of top-up